Hugh Jacobson

Hugh O.E. Jacobson, 88, of Bismarck, passed away on March 19, 2025.

A celebration of life will be held on March 28, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bismarck, ND. Burial will follow at 11 a.m. at Mandan Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, ND.

Hugh was born October 7, 1936 in Chicago, IL to Dr. Melvin & Geneva (Lystne) Jacobson. He had five siblings and spent the majority of his childhood in Elgin, ND graduating from Elgin High School in 1954, then going on to attend Dickinson State University. He then spent time in the United States Army, stationed in Germany from 1955 to 1957. In his first marriage, he was blessed with three sons, Jeff, Jim, and Mark.

He married Audrey Sathren in May of 1978. They made their home in south Bismarck in a quiet neighborhood with a beautiful yard to which they both enjoyed tending to throughout the years. Hugh built many birdhouses, flower beds, even a koi fishpond, spending the majority of his time outdoors.

He spent many years working for Twin City Testing in Bismarck as a Crew Chief, a labor-intensive job requiring frequent travel across the region. Upon retirement, he enjoyed a part-time job driving railroad workers to and from Fargo.

Among his many hobbies collecting caps, belt buckles, coins, and stamps, Hugh focused on running, cycling, and swimming, participating in marathons, triathlons, biathlons, and many other races for the majority of his life. He even qualified for the Boston Marathon one year but couldn’t participate due to an injury. He kept track of the races he had run, often stating, “I have run over 28,000 miles in my life…” he was proud of his 50 years of sobriety and the healthy alternative that running gave him. He spent many years frequenting the Bismarck YMCA, sharing stories with other athletes in the community.

Competitive by nature, he enjoyed playing Gin Rummy, Whist and other card games with Audrey, his grandchildren, and his friends. When each game ended, he would often analyze the specifics of the cards that had been played, always identifying the details of what could have been played differently to get the win.

Hugh will be deeply missed by his wife, Audrey Jacobson; his son, Jim (Sandra) Jacobson; stepdaughter, Dawn Roberson; grandchildren Sommer Noethlich, Brianne (Joe) Hoffman, Jeremy (Dawn) Jacobson, Sean Jacobson; great grandchildren Anthony & Samuel Noethlich, Holden & Bennett Hoffman, Marcus Jacobson; and siblings, Robert (Yvonne) Jacobson, Wallace (Linda) Jacobson, Sandra (Raymond) Christensen, Patricia (Robert) Grossman. He will also be missed by lifelong friend, Don Underwood; brother-in-law, Rev. Doug (Arlyce) Sathren; special family friends, Dan & Linda Roberson; Dominique (McFall) Buchholz; many in the community who knew him well and his special feline friend, Sophie, who is already missing her human companion.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Melvin and Geneva Jacobson; sons, Mark Jacobson, and Jeff Jacobson; his brother, Lee and his wife, Bonnie Jacobson.

The family requests memorials be given to Hugh’s favorite charities: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or any animal-related causes, as he deeply cared for all of God’s creatures.